Puzzles are the most important sections of the Bank PO examination. These account for 10 to 15 questions in the examination and are one of the most important factors to decide the final status of the candidates. Hence, one should resort to a winning approach to ace the Puzzles section with high marks. One can resort to online resources to tackle puzzles in the Reasoning Ability Section for Bank PO exam.
Topper’s Approach for Puzzles in Reasoning Ability
Puzzles are kingmakers when it comes to competitive examinations. These are asked for 10 to 12 marks in the examination. However, cracking the section is not as easy a task as it appears. The candidates have to therefore follow an integrated approach to crack the puzzles in the Reasoning Ability section. In the following section, you can know about the topper’s approach for puzzles in the Reasoning Ability section.
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Understand the Puzzle Type
Before diving into the puzzle, take a moment to understand the type of puzzle you are dealing with. Identify whether it is a seating arrangement, box-based or any other kind of puzzle. Also, check the number of variables.
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Analyse the Given Information
Read the given information carefully and make note of all the important clues and conditions provided in the puzzle. Pay attention to keywords and relationships mentioned in the statements. You should always begin by making 3 to 4 possibilities when solving Puzzles in Reasoning Ability.
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Create a Visual Representation
Visualize the puzzle scenario using diagrams, tables, or charts. For seating arrangements, draw a rough diagram representing the seating positions. For other puzzles, use symbols or abbreviations to represent the elements.
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Establish Possibilities and Constraints
Analyse the given conditions to establish possibilities and constraints. Note down any fixed positions or definite relationships between elements. This will help you eliminate incorrect options later.
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Start with Direct Clues
Begin solving the puzzle by using the direct clues and information provided. If you have clear information about the position of an element then place it accordingly and move forward.
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Make Inferences and Deductions
As you progress, make logical inferences and deductions based on the established possibilities and constraints. You can use syllogism or logical reasoning to draw conclusions or an elimination method to deduce the right conclusion.
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Maintain Accuracy
While solving puzzles, maintain accuracy and avoid making assumptions beyond the provided information. Even a small mistake can lead to incorrect answers in complex puzzles. Hence, draw two to three inferences and then solve it to avoid negative marking.
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Time Management
Puzzles can be time-consuming, so manage your time wisely. If you find a puzzle particularly challenging, consider moving on and returning to it later after solving easier ones. This will help you to maximise your scores in the topics that require attention.
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Practice Regularly
Puzzles in Reasoning require consistent practice to improve your problem-solving skills. Set aside dedicated practice time for solving various types of puzzles regularly. Also, follow a planned approach to solve these questions for better accuracy.
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Review and Learn from Mistakes
After attempting puzzles, review your solutions and match them with the correct answers mentioned in the book. Understand where you went wrong and learn from your mistakes to avoid repetition.
Topic Wise Weightage in Reasoning
Puzzles hold important weightage in the Reasoning Ability section of the Bank PO exam. Usually, this topic accounts for around 10 to 15 marks in the examination. Candidates have to practice puzzles based on their relevancy to the SBI PO/IBPS PO exam. Here is the topic-wise weightage of different topics in Reasoning.
| Topic Wise Weightage in Reasoning Ability | |||||
| Topics | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Puzzles | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Seating Arrangement | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Direction Sense | 4 | 3-4 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Numeric Series | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Syllogism | 4 | 4-5 | 4-5 | 5 | 0 |
| Inequality | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2-3 | 0 |
| Alphabet Based Series | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Blood Relation | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Data Sufficiency | 1 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Coding-Decoding | 2 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Misc | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
FAQs
- How do you solve a puzzle in reasoning?
Ans. You should follow a planned approach when solving a puzzle in reasoning.
- How do you approach a puzzle?
Ans. Approach a puzzle in Reasoning by considering the statements and inferences.
- How do you approach a logic puzzle?
Ans. You should approach a logic puzzle by finding a relationship between the statements mentioned.
- What is the fastest way to solve logic puzzles?
Ans. The fastest way to solve logic puzzles is to make two to three inferences and then draw a conclusion from the same.
- Is there any trick to solve puzzles?
Ans. Yes, you can learn from the short tricks mentioned in the online resources to solve puzzles.
